Rhoptropella ocellata (BOULENGER, 1885)
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Rhoptropella ocellata?
Rhoptropella ocellata
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| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Namaqua Day Gecko |
| Synonym | Rhoptropus ocellatus BOULENGER 1885: 475 Rhoptropus ocellatus — BOULENGER 1887: 490 Phelsuma ocellata — SCHMIDT 1933 Rhoptropella ocellata — HEWITT 1937 Rhoptropella ocellata — LOVERIDGE 1947: 294 Rhoptropella ocellata — WERMUTH 1965: 159 Phelsuma ocellata — RUSSELL 1977 Phelsuma ocellata — KLUGE 1993 Phelsuma ocellata — RÖSLER 1995: 143 Rhoptropella ocellata — RÖLL 1999 Rhoptropella ocellata — RÖSLER 2000: 109 Phelsuma ocellata — BAUER & BRANCH 2003 Rhoptropella ocellata — AUSTIN et al. 2004 Rhoptropella ocellata — ROCHA et al. 2010 Phelsuma ocellata — BATES et al. 2014: 145 |
| Distribution | Republic of South Africa (Cape Province, Little-Namaqualand), SW Namibia Type locality: Cape Province, South Africa (fide LOVERIDGE 1947). |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: BMNH 1946.8.28.4 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis and comparisons: The snout is moderately long, but rather broad at end in Rhoptropella, compared to Phelsuma, which has a long, narrow, pointed snout, except in mirabilis and breviceps which are scarcely or not distinguishable on this character. The rostral is relatively larger in Rhoptropella, with its hind margin extending backwards beyond an imaginary line connecting the posterior margins of the nostrils. In Phelsuma, it is relatively smaller, its hind margin not extending backward as far as an imaginary line connecting the posterior margins of the nostrils. In Rhoptropella, the nostrils are pierced in first upper labial (with which the foremost nasal is normally fused) and 1 nasal (2 when foremost not fused). In Phelsuma, the nostril lies between first upper labial and 3 nasals (2 only in mutabilis and breviceps; rostral also in others). In Rhoptropella, the eyelid is continuous as a narrow circular fold more or less around the eye, its upper portion projecting with the margin bearing 7-8 somewhat enlarged scales and internally, near the eye, a second row of 5-8 small, broad, flattened scales. In Phelsuma, the eyelid is continuous as a narrow circular fold more or less around the eye, its upper portion not projecting nor its margin scaled inferiorly. In Rhoptropella, the upper surface of digital expansion has only a few small scales, about 3-5 in a single series, which distally extends only to the greatly enlarged mesial scale that terminates the mesial row of more or less enlarged scales; the marginal scales are broader than the height of the adjacent subdigital scansors.In Phelsuma, the upper surface of digital expansion has many small scales basally in a double series and distally extending in 1-2 rows almost to the end between the mesial row of more or less enlarged scales and the marginal ones which correspond in breadth with the height of the sub-digital scansors. In Rhoptropella, the scansors beneath the digital expansion number only 7-8, including the very small distal one but excluding the 8-9 transversely dilated shields into which the scansors merge proximally. In Phelsuma, the scansors beneath the digital expansion number more than 8 except in mutabilis and breviceps which have 8 if one excludes the transversely dilated shields into which they merge. (modified after Loveridge 1947: 294.) |
| Comment | Although molecular analyses by AUSTIN et al. (2004) present no positive evidence that Rhoptropella is closely related to Phelsuma, such a relationship is strongly indicated by morphology. The two genera share a very broad frontal bone that may be completely bordered by extensions of the prefrontal and postfrontal bones, hypertrophied distal chondroepiphyses on the antepenultimate and prepenultimate phalanges of digits 2–5 of both manus and pes, pupil usually more or less round with un-notched borders, digit 1 on both manus and pes greatly reduced (data from Bauer, 1990; Russell and Bauer, 1990; Kluge and Nussbaum, 1995). Type species: Rhoptropus ocellatus BOULENGER 1885: 475 is the type species of the genus Rhoptropella HEWITT 1937: 199. |
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